On Tuesday, Barack Obama took part in an impromptu smartphone self-portrait with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and British Prime Minister David Cameron during a memorial service for Nelson Mandela. It’s been producing plenty of headlines, as people debate whether or not it was appropriate.

Twitter shares soared to $49 on Monday, up 9% to their highest level since the social blogging network went public in early November. The spike in share price comes just a few days after Twitter rolled out a new ad program. The move gives PR pros yet another excuse to condition themselves to paid media programs.

It’s one thing when brands try and align their message with “Hallmark” holidays such as Valentine’s Day or April Fool’s Day. But it’s another thing when brands try and leverage solemn anniversaries, such as last weekend’s 72nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor, as Cambell’s soup brand SpagettiOs has now learned the hard way.